Summary of Best Practices for Concussions in College Football in the USA:
Following league-level NCAA policies
Educating athletes and coaches on concussions
Prohibiting same day return to play
Requiring clearance from a physician to return to play
Following a gradual return to play protocol to return athletes to play
Longer recovery time period along with a longer rehabilitation period decreases chance of repeat concussion
Limitations in the Research:
There still lacks a universally accepted, reliable, and valid biomarker diagnosis for a sports-related concussion (Baugh, Kroshus, 2015).
Limited research on perspectives regarding strict rest versus light, physical and cognitive activity after sustaining concussions
Points to Highlight:
Not all college institutions implement and follow all of the concussion protocols and policies due to many reasons (Baugh et al., 2016). Some reasons include:
Staffing issues that hinder appropriate management of concussions
Budget constraints or budget cuts
Lack of education on concussions and the importance of managing them correctly
Still much more room for improvement in concussion management in college football that could be looked at in the future
One example, ATC spotters are in the NFL to compliment their concussion management. ATC spotters serve as extra sets of eyes, watching for possible injuries at every NFL game. They may use a medical timeout to stop the game in order to remove a player for medical examination